Trees In The Winter
by Detective Broadway
Summary: Waverly is smitten for a beautiful red-head, said red-head is also smitten back - neither knows this though. It's winter, it's cold and when you need to seek refuge from the cold, a hot chocolate and a warm body is the perfect remedy. A work in progress, possible smut to follow...
1. Chapter 1

Winter is always the time of year I dread the most. There is next to no positives about the despicable season. First of all, how dare it be so cold that I can no longer be fashionable? Layers and layers for days here on _this _body, call me the abominable snow-woman – I dare you to show me somebody who can be stylish in -10 degrees Celsius. Oh, that's right, nobody like that exists outside the Instagram realm. Second reason to despise the cold months, snow is _really _annoying to drive in – and exist around in general. Again, would look very cute in an Instagram post – hair and THIN coat covered in snow, cute smile, playing in the snow on the ground… This in reality is false. Snow is cold! Throwing a snowball is fun, oh of course it's wonderful but your hands go red and then you risk frostbite, and even if you _have_ gloves on, then they just get wet and it's just all so – snow is cold and icy roads are a hazard. Could I complain about the cold all day? Yes. Am I bitter because I don't have anyone to hold me and make me warm? Perhaps. These are the only times I miss Champ, and it's not even that I miss him specifically. I only miss him being my personal heater in sub-zero conditions. Plus, sometimes he'd let me wear his oversized hoodie and I suppose that was… cute? I'd really like to be wearing someone else's oversized hoodie right about now…

I suppose I need to stop daydreaming, just **suck it up **and get dressed for work; really wish my Shorty's top wasn't a thin crop top at this point in time. _At least I'll look adorable whilst I freeze to death._

-x-

"Sherriff Haught! Don't you look… warm!" _Okay Waverly that was definitely smooth you got this._

"Hey Waves, err thanks! I am pretty cosy – there _is_ an upside to wearing this big ol' uniform after all."

Nicole Haught is God's gift to this Earth. Nicole Haught is an angel in disguise. Nicole Haught is – staring at me? No, I think I'm imagining things, she couldn't possibly be looking at me the way I'm looking at her. No, god no. The only reason her pupils are dilated are because it's darker in here than outside. Sounds about right to me… And **oh god **why am I nervous laughing at her not-joke?

"Hey well that _big ol' uniform _is pretty easy on the eyes if you ask me! I mean, because _you're _wearing it. I mean, because – you're – because you – because –"

"Well how do you do Sherriff Haught on this fine day? I was wondering when the blizzard would blow you in to this here pub?" _Doc is my LIFESAVER. Thank you. Thank you Doc. Keep talking so I don't have to keep ruining my own life. _

"_Well _Doc, I am doing just fine on this **fine **day, and it is a… _fine… _day indeed." _Why is she LOOKING AT ME? _

"I think what our Waverly was trying to say was in fact, you look certainly respectable in your uniform, Sherriff."

"_Oh_, well thank you?" Nicole just gave me this sheepish smile and I giggled and dear lord I am possibly smitten with someone I barely know and who _probably _doesn't think I'm anything at all. I guess I'll spend the winter alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I didn't think it was possible to get even colder but hello here we are today on a day that is **colder. **Usually on a Wednesday, I would be gifted the grace of not having to trek into town for work; which frankly is still true I don't have to slave my soul away at Shorty's today. However, I still have to trek it into town, which means leaving the house in my 16 million thermal layers. Alas, it must be done! I think I'd be less peeved off if it wasn't just to post a letter for Wynonna honestly. Why couldn't she do it when she goes into town?

"You know why baby girl, I'm too busy doing Black Badge important detective shit or whatever - you get it though, right?"

I did not get it, but I'm too kind to ever decline anyone anything. Is it my greatest fault or my greatest skill? I will never know, nor will I ever change. I could never imagine being unkind to anyone, not even if they really deserved it. Okay, that's a blatant lie – if they truly deserve it, then I will unleash the beast within! The beast within unfortunately is still generous with her words.

But again, I just looked at the clock – the words escaping my mouth are anything far from 'kind' and 'generous' as I notice that the time is actually 2:34pm – I've slept in _way_ too late. I'm losing daylight fast, I only have 3 hours to make myself presentable to the seeing eye. Maybe a little extra presentable, I mean you never know who you might run into in this tiny town. _Or who you hope to run into. _

-x-

To make the running-late issue worse, I cannot for the freaking life of me find this stupid letter I'm meant to post. Left it on the kitchen table did you Wynonna? I don't think so! In fact, I know so. There's only so many times I can move the salt and pepper shakers in the hopes it miraculously appears out of thin air in front of me. This is just insanity. Is it so difficult to leave something in the place you said? Or to tell me where you actually left it. Is it _so _hard? It is Wynonna… so yes.

"UGH!"

My frustration is growing, time is fleeting. Running around the house and throwing anything that stands in my way seems like the only viable option right now. To find a Wynonna object, I must **think** like Wynonna.

She had the letter, she went to put it down but… she got hungry! It must be in the fridge. No? Well it must be in the cutlery draw. No. It must be on the couch, because she's lazy in the morning – and afternoon, and night. I've thrown up every cushion in this house and not a single envelope. Maybe she left it on her bed, that's the most logical. I'll scan every surface I pass as I go up there, dear GOD where _is_ this damned letter?

Things do not disappear into the abyss out of nowhere – usually. In this case I'm sure she's just put it in a really simple place and I've accidentally overlooked it. Surely. _Surely. _I'll check the kitchen table again. Surely, it's there right. Right? Maybe if I run my fingers over the table it'll magickly appear – what the hell?

And just like that, it appeared. Not that it wasn't there the whole time, I mean it was definitely there the whole time. She put it under the table cover. Who does that? That's insane! Wynonna is not normal, that is not normal behaviour. _To top it all off, _there's no address. Just a name and a bunch of stamps. **Are you kidding me?**

-x-

"WYNONNA EARP!" I yell, as angrily as I could muster as I storm into the sheriff's office The look on Wynonna's face making me even more upset as she flashed the cheekiest grin she could muster.

"Hey baby girl, how's your day? Say, did you manage to post that letter for me? _Such _a big help, aren't you? Knew I could count on you. Uh oh, what's wrong? Did I leave the stove top on again? Or did I –"

All I could do was aggressively hold the envelope in front of me, hoping she would notice the lack of important information needed for posting a letter.

"Oh, you found it! Did I forget to put the address on?"

"Yes."

"Oopsie daisy! Give it here. Nobody's perfect Waves, cheer up."

Is she serious right now? Is she honestly brushing this off like it's no big deal?

"Wynonna, I turned the house upside down looking for that. Why did you think I would _know _to look under the table cover? Who… who does that? Furthermore, how do you forget the ADDRESS?" I really have to calm down, I'm sure she didn't even realise her mistakes.

"Well you see, I was more occupied by what whiskey I was going to drink. I couldn't choose between a single malt and a blend and by the time I had a few shots of each to decide well… the whiskey did it! It was not me. You cannot blame me. Facts are facts."

"You can post it yourself, maybe your best friend Jack Daniels can show you to the post office. I don't have time to do your stupid bidding Wynonna!"

We stood in silence for a minute as Wynonna looked utterly shocked at the fact I had shown such outrage toward her. It's true, doing her trivial tasks for her is frustrating! I could be doing my own trivial tasks. I could even be sitting in front of the fire at home instead of risking my nose falling off in the icy cold breeze.

"I'll see you later, Wynonna."


	3. Chapter 3

Why couldn't she have of pissed me off in Summer? Nice, sunny Summer. Better yet, why did I have to park so far away from the sheriff's office? I see a whole lot of cars passing me by and no one offering to drop me to my car. No Waverly Earp, that's just lazy. It's not even that cold! Just think… warm thoughts. Think of fire, and hot chocolates, and warm, oversized hoodies… Someone's oversized hoodie. Someone's arms around me. Someone's hand holding mine… I mean, I don't even. She wouldn't even want to – not with me. Do I even want that? I'm just being – stupid. Stupid Waverly and her stupid daydreams.

Though, my stupid daydreaming brought me to the car without much more complaining to myself. Yet maybe internal whining about the weather would've been better than my mind making up feelings and ideas that I don't even understand myself.

Keys, where are my keys? In my coat pocket on my left side, just where I told myself I'd put them. See Wynonna, not that hard to be specific about where you put things… then you can find them again. Crazy! I know.

On another thought, why won't my car start? C'mon buddy, please start! How many more times do I have to turn the key for you to start?

"Please start, please start, please? It's not that hard! It really isn't – AH"

A very startling knock at my window scared me into letting out a shrill scream. If my scared face and screaming wasn't embarrassing enough, the person who knocked made it even worse for my embarrassment. _Open the door and stop gawking, Waverly. _

"Havin' a little trouble starting your car there, Earp?"

_No one's hair should be that vibrant and beautifully red. This is ridiculous. _

"Oh, hey Nicole. I, uh, yes. It's being a real pain today! I mean, not today because it started earlier, obviously. That's how I got here today. Because the car **did** start today. Just now – now it isn't being so… kind."

_SWEET BABY JESUS stop rambling you'll scare her off. _Nicole just started giggling at me? She must think I'm an absolute idiot. This is the worst day ever.

"You're adorable."

_Huh? She DID NOT just call me adorable. I am hearing things. I must have of imagined it, right? No, she definitely said it; she must have meant like how a child is adorable right? _

I truly wish our bodies didn't have instant reactions to stimuli – case in point, my grin could not be wider. _Must avoid eye contact so I don't seem creepy, look at how interesting the snow on the ground is! _

"Waverly? You okay?"

_Shit! _

"Oh Nicole, of course I am! I just, uh… Wish my car would work!"

"Let me try get it going, I'm really good with my hands… or so I'm told."

Okay, she **definitely **gave me a cheeky smirk then as she said that. God, watching her take charge like this is really… it's a really great sight. Truly great. Just Nicole, behind the wheel of my car, trying to be a handy-woman and help me out. Really just –

"I don't know what to tell you, but this is problem is beyond my realm of knowledge about cars, which was pretty limited in the first place unfortunately. But hey, I'll give you a ride home? My treat, seeing as I failed you as a mechanic."

_Correction, best day ever. _

"I'd really like that, Nicole."

We are **both** staring at each other with goofy smiles there is no way I am imagining it this time. My insides are doing flips holy crap.

"Oh but, is it alright with you if we stop at mine first? I just need to get out of this uniform asap – it's not as comfortable as you'd think. You can meet Calamity Jane and, if you're lucky, I'll treat you to a hot chocolate?"

"Trust me, it is _fine_ by me. But, who's Calamity Jane?"


	4. Chapter 4

"So, this is House Haught, eh?"

-x-

Never in my wildest dreams did I think getting invited over to the hottest-Sherriff-to-ever-exist's house would be so easy to do. I'm making sure my car is rendered useless more often; I'm throwing away it's antifreeze. Still, I can't believe I'm about to be in her _home. _The drive over was nothing short of awkward, at least that's how I perceived it. Maybe it was fine and I'm surely just overreacting – or maybe not. I don't think I've ever been so quiet in my entire life! 20 minutes of strained small talk made me second guess her intentions with me. I thought maybe she liked me, even just a little. Now my mind is shrouded with doubt and I all I can seem to do is upset myself for thinking that I was good enough for someone as perfect as Nicole Haught. _Of course, she thinks I'm just the worst, that I'm boring or an annoyance or… No Waverly Earp don't down talk yourself. You are __**overreacting **__about this whole thing. You have no idea what she thinks – stop thinking negative thoughts._

Although, in retrospect, some of the miniscule attempts at conversation we had weren't all bad. We talked about her cat, and how she's the best cat in the whole universe (apparently); though I'll take her word for it, once I get a good cat-cuddle in! I told her about Wynonna's incapability to give simple instructions, or better yet what she considers a 'normal' place to store things. We spoke of the weather, as **all** normal chit-chat goes when you're not sure of each other. Specifically, we spoke of the possible snow storm that was forecast for tonight and how if it hit, there was no chance of leaving the house till it passed… I suppose, it wasn't the worst first-conversation-alone I've ever experienced. God, I just get so nervous when I'm trying to impress someone. Not that I feel I have to impress Nicole, but I do want her to like me. I don't know why. I don't even know why I feel the way _I _feel toward her. I don't even understand it myself. It's never occurred to me that I might be… But it is possible I suppose. I mean, I think I loved Champ but there was always something lacking? There is just this connection, between Nicole and I, and it's completely unexplainable but I know that whatever it is I feel, I know that it's right. I know not to fight it, as I have been – for months. I tried to ignore it, tried to justify it another way; even had to try and explain it to myself because I was so confused. But now, I think I get it, and I'm okay with it. I'm done fighting feelings deep down I know I can't shake.

-x-

"It sure is, Casa de Haught! Welcome, come on in. Excuse the mess, I wasn't expecting to rescue a damsel in distress today."

As she opened the door, I felt my heart flutter for a brief moment. Not only was I excited to meet the best cat in the galaxy, but I was starting to feel nervous about what tonight might ensue.

"Puh-lease, I know you just wanted to seem like the big strong hero and that's the _only _reason you came to save me."

"Are you saying I'm not big, strong or a hero?"

"Oh, you're definitely a hero, although you may need to prove the big and strong part to me later?"

_Yes Waverly, get it girl. Did you go to school for flirting, because if so, you must've had A++ all the way through it. _

"Well if you're lucky, I will do,"

I think I can feel my heartbeat in my throat. This is… better than I could've hoped for.

"Now, I won't be a minute. I'm just going to put on something a bit more _elegant_ –"

"- Are you saying an officer's outfit is not _elegant?_"

"Well, if you think it is then I'd be very intrigued to see what you wear to _be_ elegant,"

As if on cue, we both began to giggle at each other.

"I'll go get the prized cat for a hug to distract you whilst I'm gone for 5 minutes."

"I mean alright, but if I have too much of a good time, don't feel offended if I tell you I'd rather spend the afternoon hanging out with her."

"I would not be surprised, she's amazing."

"Yeah, I bet she is. Now go get her and get changed, I want to see your elegant side!"

I mustered the corniest wink I could to show of course I was joking around, but deep down I also just wanted to wink at her. Because she is Haught.


	5. Chapter 5 (Nicole's Point of View)

Waverly freakin' Earp is not in my living room right now, this is my gay brain concocting teasing images to make fun of the fact I'm chasing a straight girl who is completely out of my league. In the possible event that I'm not going crazy, and the most beautiful angel in the world is _actually_ sitting in my loungeroom talking to my cat-child like she's her best friend, what the **fuck **do I wear?

_Okay, I think we've established she is actually in my home, you aren't crazy. Just try not to be your cocky self… probably impossible - but try make it cute. _

What would Waverly like to see me in? That's the only reasonable way to work this out, right? Or, what do I look the hottest in? Do I wear normal comfy clothes? Do I put on a nice shirt? What is the occasion here? _Do I put on the easiest shirt to rip off… _Start from the bottom – pants. Tight leather pants that my ass looks great in would be a real showstopper, but Professor Oak's words echoed in my head – Nicole, there's a time and place for everything… Maybe we play down thirsty-gay-Nicole and be wintry-comfort-gay-Nicole? OOH, we could go all out here – matching fluffy pyjama set, fluffy slippers – really show off my cuddly side. I'll make sure to leave the fire off until it gets super freezing – ah Nicky, why are you a genius? _I really am a thirsty gay. _

I have taken way too long in the bedroom to get changed, I can hear Waverly telling my fur-baby about her favourite Latin phrases – I think I need to go and save her before I wake up in the middle of the night to Calamity Jane muttering Latin to me and possibly summoning a demon.

One last touch up of the hair – it's nice and wavy from having it in a French braid all day – so we have a bit of glam to go with the 'sleepy chic' aesthetic. Here I go, trying to play it cool, still in awe that Waverly is here. I don't even know what she thinks or how she feels. It's literally _so hard _to tell, because she's the sweetest person I've ever met, and the way she talks to me I _think_ it's flirting, but then I know she's probably just polite like that to everyone. But sometimes I swear… the way she looks at me… I just can't be sure. I think I'm seeing the things I want to be seeing and being overly hopeful about something that'll probably never be. I'd never make the first move, because I know she's straight. But I just… I'm very hopeful.

-x-

"Sorry I took so long, by law I have to hang my uniform up in a very specific way otherwise I'll get banished from the country."

"That's too bad, I could never be in law enforcement. All of my clothes end up thrown over anything and everything – even the clean ones! Oh well, maybe I could be a professional cat sitter for intelligent cats?"

"I think that's a very promising career, definitely look for the job listings on the community noticeboard!"

"Trust me, I've been looking for years and nothing yet. I won't lose hope though."

"Neither will I."

We shared a tiny smile at each other in the silence as we both had nowhere to go with the joking around. I suggested the only thing I could think of.

"So, hot chocolate?"

"I thought you'd never ask!"

Waverly, following me into the kitchen, couldn't help but look me up in down in my respectable and 'elegant' outfit. She looked so amused, but she said nothing.

"Is there something wrong with my outfit, Earp?" She looked so shocked I called her out. Almost upset that I thought she didn't like it.

"Oh, no! I love it, in fact. You look very comfortable. A very hot chocolate-chill out style, I love it. Truly, I envy your level of comfort!"

"Well hey, I have a couple of sets of fluffy pyjamas, I can always put you in a pair." I left her with a wink and turned to get two mugs out of the cupboard.

"Do you actually? I think we both need to match for hot chocolate night."

_Holy shit she's serious about wearing my pyjamas. Oh my –_

"Yeah! Did you actually want me to get you a set?"

"Hell yeah I do! How unfair only one of us is at maximum comfort level."

_Did she just… wink back at me? What is happening?_

"Alrighty, I'll go get you a set and I'll make sure our hot chocs are ready and perfect when you return all fluffed up."

"Perfect. Though, I just have one very important question…" As I walked from around the kitchen island that she was sat on the other side of, she put her hand on mine and stopped me walking away.

"…Do you have mini marshmallows?" How can anyone look so freakin' adorable? How? Unexplainable.

"Of course I do, Waves. Who do you think I am?"

"Can I have extra? Pretty please with a marshmallow on top?" She did the cutest pout I've ever seen in my life.

"You can have whatever you like."

"I hope so."


End file.
